Crossbows and Tomahawks
by lotrfreak007
Summary: Daryl heads back to his hometown of Barbourville with Rick and Carl in tow. Hoping to find any remnants of his former life, he encounters a woman he never thought he'd see again: Sadie Wagner. The once kind hearted and gentle woman is now a hardened killer and would do whatever is necessary to protect the life of a mute child-even kill the man who once saved her own. Post season 3.
1. Chapter 1

Crossbows and Tomahawks

Prologue

The town of Barbourville, Georgia was at one time quaint. Antique malls lined Main Street with hole-in-the-wall restaurants scattered here and there. A local coffee shop brewed a unique roasted blend, and the line to get a cup of it would be out the door and down the sidewalk every morning.

Larger retailers and chain stores hadn't pushed their way into the town just yet. Everything was localized with a farmer's market and a family-run grocery store. There were three schools: an elementary, middle, and high school, each without a neighboring rival. Sports took a backseat to the farming community. Hunting and fishing were leisurely activities and if you were old enough, a drink or two at the local pub marked the end to a hard day's work.

Barbourville was poor. Middle class was hard to come by and each family struggled with income. The closest college was in Atlanta, two hours away. Most people in Barbourville were lucky to receive their high school diploma, let alone a college education.

Daryl Dixon was one of those people.

He sat in a booth at the local pub, absentmindedly sipping from his warm beer as he watched a college basketball game. Georgia was playing whoever. It didn't matter. It was all an illusion anyway-he wasn't really paying attention to anything on television. Daryl kept a young woman in his peripheral-a Sadie Wagner. She was a bartender on the weekends at the pub.

Every Saturday night, he'd come in and sit at the same booth. Sadie would flash him a smile and go about her business. Daryl had the nerve at one time to say something-anything-to the woman, but the wedding band on her ring finger stopped him from acting on such an impulse.

But still, he couldn't stop himself from watching her. She moved with grace, as if the very ground she walked on was a cloud and she floated about. Her steps were light. Daryl didn't know why, but he had to watch her. She was a magnet drawing him in.

There were times when the crowd got rowdy, or a drunkard would push Sadie's buttons one time too many. Daryl had half a mind to grab those men by the throat and haul their asses into the middle of the street, but Sadie...Sadie could handle herself. She was a sweet talker. Flashing that gold band on her finger didn't shut up their come-ons, but when they heard who she was married to...that certainly made everyone go quiet.

Daryl couldn't claim to know who Tommy Wagner was, but his reputation preceded him: a violent man who was convicted of manslaughter. He was recently released from prison and had returned to Barbourville on probation.

But something about Sadie stood out today. A wall was lifted. She was different. Sadie stood a little taller and walked a little peppier. It took him nearly the entire night to figure it out, but once he did, he sighed with relief. The wedding band was gone.

"You doin' all right, Daryl?" He snapped out of his silent reverie. It was her. Sadie was standing next to him.

"Yeah." He couldn't muster the words.

"You've only had the one drink tonight. It's probably warm by now. Last call is in 5 mins...you want me to getcha somethin?"

"Sure." She smiles softly at him and walked back to the bar, fetching him a beer.

The door chimed open and two men walked in. "Hey boys-we're closin' down so if you want something to drink, ya gotta make it quick."

A third man walked in. Daryl instantly pegged him as Tommy. He glanced to Sadie, her happy demeanor turning sour, but only for a moment. She covered it up almost instantly.

Tommy walked up to the bar and sat down on a stool across from Sadie. "I told you we'd talk about all this tomorrow, Tommy."

"Don't see why it's such a big deal. We can talk now."

"No, we can't. I'm closin shop. If you want me to be a real bitch about it, I'll tell you to speak to my lawyer." Sadie stepped from behind the bar and headed over to Daryl's booth. She placed the beer in front of him. "Here ya go."

Daryl watched the altercation between Sadie and her husband...or maybe her ex-husband. Either way, there wasn't a chance he'd be leaving anytime soon. The other bartender hadn't returned from his smoke break, and there was no way he would leave Sadie alone with a murderer.

"Why don't you just get on outta here? Huh? I've done made up my mind and I don't need you to-"

"God, woman. You never give it a rest, do ya? The joke's over."

"No joke, Tommy. Take your lackeys and go home."

"Where are you stayin tonight?"

"It don't matter. I'm leavin Monday."

Tommy laughed. "The hell you are." His laugh quickly faded when he looked at her hand...her bare hand. "Where's your ring?"

"It's gone. You're lucky I didn't pawn the damn thing off."

She moved away from the bar, recognizing the flash in his eyes as something dangerous. But before Sadie could force too much distance between them, Tommy snatched her wrist and lurched her forward. "Close the bar. Kick this asshole outta here. We're going home and we'll..._talk_ there."

Sadie tried slapping him, but Tommy easily deflected her hand. "Don't be stupid. C'mon."

"Let her go, asshole." Tommy and the two men looked up and saw Daryl now standing. "We won't have a problem here if you just walk your asses out the door."

Tommy glared daggers at him. "And who the hell are you?"

"Don't matter, Sunshine."

"Sunshine?" Tommy laughed. "That's great."

The door chimed again. In walked Sam, the other bartender. "What the hell is goin' on? Tommy?"

"Go on, Sam. This doesn't concern you."

"The hell is doesn't. Take this shit outside. I don't need you boys tearin' up my bar. And if you don't get your hand off Miss Sadie, I'll blow your damn head off myself. I ain't afraid to go back to jail."

"Neither am I." Tommy loosened his grip on Sadie, but never took his eyes off Daryl. Sadie snatched her arm back and retreated next to Sam.

"Go on home. All of ya. No more pissing contests for the night." Tommy didn't move as he continued to watch Daryl, his icy eyes returning the stare.

The two other men made their way to the door. "C'mon, Tommy," one called back. Only then did Tommy's feet begin to move.

The door closed behind them and Sam moved to lock it. "Whew," he said. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Sadie. He's a braying jackass."

Daryl moved to the bar where Sadie had preoccupied herself while Sam entered the back room. Her hands were shaking as she wiped down the countertops with a wet rag. "You okay?"

Sadie looked at Daryl but only briefly as she continued to busy herself. "I'm good. Thanks...for bein' here." Daryl replied with only a nod. "Drinks on me tonight."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, no problem. That's my shit I gotta deal with-not yours. I'm sorry you were witness to it."

"You're leaving him?"

"Finally. I'm headin out to Oklahoma."

Daryl's heart stopped. "What's there?"

"My momma. And a good school. I just finished my undergrad online this year. I'm getting my Master's in Psychology. I'll make a name for myself...one that isn't Sadie Wagner-wife of a murderer."

He just nodded.

"Daryl...Dixon, right? You come from Merle's clan?"

"Yeah."

"You should make a name for yourself, too."

"Merle's a good guy. He's just made some bad decisions."

"We all do." The tremors in her hands began to subside. "God, that man gives me heart palpitations."

"You want me to stay? Walk you to your car?"

She smiled. "If anything, someone should walk you to your car. I think you mighta pissed him off more than me." She laughed at her own words, knowing that there was a bit of truth to them. "Don't you worry about me. I've got Sam, and Sam's got a 12-gauge."

He nodded again, words escaping him. There was a rock sitting in his stomach and he thought he was going to be sick. The woman of his dreams was leaving, and he didn't have the heart to ask her to stay. Or the words.

Daryl swallowed his vulnerability. There wasn't any use crying over this-it just wasn't meant to be. This girl deserved better than Tommy...better than Daryl. She shouldn't have to put up with losers.

But he couldn't leave it like this. He couldn't just walk away from this strange fantasy. "I shoulda had more balls...shoulda talked to you before tonight. I just...I don't know, am stupid, I guess."

Sadie couldn't say anything. She didn't know what to say as the man struggled to find his words.

"You just...you take care of yourself up there."

"I will."

"Maybe...if I'm ever in Oklahoma, I'll look you up."

"That'd...that'd be great."

"Okay." He moved to leave, unlocking the front door and opening it. "Lock this behind me."

"Bye, Daryl."

He nodded.

Daryl still thought about Sadie and their final encounter at the pub, four years later. He thought about her as he sat in the prison cell, lying on the cot, his crossbow lying on the floor next to him.

He thought about her when he was alone, hunting or scavenging. He thought about her when he was among the crowd that now occupied the prison.

Maybe she found safety in Oklahoma. Maybe she and her mother were out on a farm somewhere, just like Herschel's. Maybe she joined a community just like Woodbury's.

He thought about her after Merle died, more than ever. He thought about her when Carol smiled at him.

But he never, ever thought about her when killing the walkers. He couldn't accept the fact that she might've become one of them.

* * *

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Review!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks everyone for checking out my story! Please review!

* * *

There was no relief from the blazing Georgia summer. The sun was set directly in front of Sadie Wagner as she quietly came around the corner of the pharmacy. Sweat dripped into her eyes, but she didn't falter. The heart of Barbourville was populated by the dead cannibals she used to know personally. By now, though, their numbers dwindled.

Sadie came back once a week to this place, scrounging for anything that might prove beneficial. Supplies were quickly becoming scarce. The grocery store was looted long ago and canned goods were nowhere to be found. Clean water was a luxury. Luckily, she and Olivia found a creek bed in the woods some five miles away.

Olivia. The little girl proved more valuable than Sadie first realized. Shut away in one of the houses Sadie scavenged the previous Winter, Olivia was on death's door. Her parents had left her holed up in the basement while they went searching for supplies and never came back. In that basement for three months, Olivia survived by eating half a can of tuna and four saltine crackers a day until she ran out, and until Sadie found her malnourished and dehydrated.

Sadie was worried that she'd frighten Olivia when she first found her. A thick and prominent scar lined down the right side of Sadie's face, from her brow to her chin, passing over her eye. Olivia had never asked about it and Sadie was glad. Some things were better left unsaid.

Since Sadie had known her, Olivia had not said a single word, let alone mutter a sound. She was mute either by choice or design. The girl didn't call for help or communicate by conventional standards. For weeks, she wrote in a notepad any response she had for Sadie until it grew tiresome and too tedious for either of them.

In the moments when the pair were too anxious or scared to sleep, they came up with their own sign language.

Having Oliva with her was difficult and easy at the same time. Sadie didn't have to feign politeness or courtesy. She didn't have to make small talk with an almost complete stranger. Hell, she barely knew anything about the kid. But there was a companionship that they developed. They shared one basic commonality: they had to survive.

To do that, they needed to make sacrifices. Sadie's stomach growled as she rested against the wall, allowing Olivia some time to catch up with her current position. Sadie hadn't eaten in over a day. It wasn't anything beyond normal. She would go without food on occasion, as long as Olivia had something to eat. A 12 year old wouldn't fare as well without food as a 26 year old.

Sadie took a step out from behind the pharmacy only to quickly retreat back against its wall. Olivia stood with her back to Sadie but could sense the anxiety spread.

Sadie began counting the dead shuffling about not 50 yards ahead of her. One...two...three...four. She clicked her tongue in concurrence with her count. Olivia heard this and responded with two clicks of her own.

Six walkers: four in front and two behind. Olivia could take the two easily. "You want them while I take these guys?" Sadie whispered, glancing back at the girl. A curt nod was all the response Olivia gave before silently moving off in the direction of the two.

There were no guns. Those were locked away, safely out of the reach of Sadie. She was given permission to use knives and the finely tuned tomahawks her stepfather collected back in Oklahoma. Two of them hung on her belt with a knife tucked away in her right shoe. She and Olivia both carried aluminum baseball bats.

Sadie approached the first Creep, shuffling between a row of cars. He looked in her direction at the last second before his head was knocked off, his body collapsing to the ground. Sadie readied the bat again, aiming to take off the next head of a Creep she came across. The gurgle of its voice sounded to her right. With the swoosh of her bat, he was down.

The two other Creeps were alerted to her presence. They began their unsteady walk toward her. Not risking the pair getting too close, Sadie dropped her bat and snatched both tomahawks from her belt. In quick succession, she threw both toward them, and they simultaneously fell to the ground.

She retrieved her tomahawks and put them back on her belt before running toward Olivia. Sadie would never know if Olivia was overrun by the Creeps. She'd die before a sound escaped her lips.

Sure enough, Olivia was cleaning off her knife before placing it back in her shoe. Sadie knew her fair share of people who attempted to kill the Creeps, but ended up getting killed in the process. Olivia was an invaluable, yet lethal, partner.

* * *

Inside the pharmacy, a small display of candy was still intact. "No Kit-Kats. You want some Twix?" Olivia looked at her with disgust on her face. "Yeah...they're probably no good at this point. I mean, what is? Even medicine has an expiration date."

Olivia unzipped her backpack, stuffing whatever she could find in it.

"Woah, Liv. Do you even know what half that stuff does?" Sadie approached her and took the bottle she was holding out of her hand. "These are sleep aids. Ain't no use in us gettin' sleep aids when it'll just bring our guard down. We'd be too drowsy to react properly." Olivia sighed and defiantly dropped the pill bottles on the floor. "Hey now, I don't make the rules."

Olivia made a sign Sadie knew to mean "bullshit".

Sadie smiled as she walked around the corner. "Oh, my God." Olivia rushed to her side. "An entire aisle dedicated to tampons. That's trading power right there." Sadie turned to face Olivia. "If you ever see tampons, toilet paper, or cigarettes...you're in the money. Take 'em and run." Olivia rolled her eyes as she began stuffing her backpack with the boxes Sadie handed her.

A large gunshot rang throughout the parking lot. Then another and another. Sadie and Olivia didn't move. They glanced out the tinted storefront windows. Sadie's heart began to race-one Creep walked by, followed by nearly a dozen others.

Another shot. And another. Olivia looked up at Sadie. "That's a .357...He doesn't have one of those." Sadie looked around and spotted an exit to the rear of the building. "C'mon. We can sneak out this way."

* * *

They rounded the same corner as before and glanced to the parking lot. Sadie clicked her tongue 10 times and Olivia nodded as they watched the swarm of Creeps close in on a group of three.

"You recognize them?"

Olivia shook her head.

"Same here." Olivia tightened her grip on her baseball bat, ready to charge as soon as Sadie gave the command. Sadie had different intentions. "What-you wanna go runnin' off to battle? You don't know those guys. Those gunshots probably got half the town comin' after them right now."

Olivia glared at her, and Sadie realized that the girl was gonna do whatever she wanted anyway. "If you get me killed, I swear to God I'm comin' after you first. We help 'em out, we leave. No lingering-you got me?" Olivia nodded and made her way through the parking lot, leading the two. Sadie dropped her baseball bat and grabbed her tomahawks.

The group of men had climbed on top of a truck, the youngest still a teenager. They kicked and punched at the Creeps and didn't take notice of Olivia and Sadie until the first Creep went down. Olivia had smashed it's head clean through with a bat.

Two more went down with nothing holding their heads intact: a blade protruded from either of their brittle skulls.

The girls were an easy distraction. They hacked and beat and killed any of the Creeps that dared to get close enough to them. One of the men jumped down from the truck and snatched his crossbow. He loaded it with an arrow and shot at a Creep approaching him.

The man with the gun took out the last of the Creeps, smashing his .357 into it's head.

"What in the hell is wrong with you people?" Sadie seethed. "Every damn Creep in this town is gonna come now that you've been so trigger happy."

"There were at least a dozen of them on our tail. We had to take them out," The gunslinger retorted.

Sadie grabbed Olivia by the arm and tugged her away from the men. They hurried through the pile of creeps, Sadie grabbing her tomahawks as they went.

"Hey. Hey!" the gunslinger shouted. He walked after them. "We're looking for shelter. Can you help us out?"

"We already did," Sadie called back. "You'd be smart to leave. This ain't your turf."

"The hell it isn't!" The other man shouted. "You can't claim this place!"

"Keep walking, Liv," she whispered. "Don't turn around. Just keep walking." Sadie pushed Olivia in front of her and turned around to face the men.

"Look, we don't mean any harm," Gunslinger raised his hands, not holding his weapon. He even went as far as to drop the .357 on the ground in front of him. "We just need some help."

Sadie rested both hands on her tomahawks. She looked between the three of them. The sun was slowly starting to set. In an hour, they would be shrouded in darkness, but there'd be no relief. The heat would dissipate only slightly, replaced by a humid and thick air that was native to the south this time of year. Crickets would drown out the cicadas.

Barbourville, when there were more people and less Creeps, became a breeding ground for the latter at night. It wasn't safe.

Sadie studied the man in front of her, knowing that the rules didn't allow for new people. Taking Olivia in was a stretch, but still...this man pleaded for help, even if the others didn't much care. She could read him-read his body language. Sadie stepped closer, her grip on the tomahawks unyielding.

"Where are you from?"

"We live about two hours from here. We were driving, looking for the gun store, but our vehicle died. We were hoping to take another one."

"All these vehicles have been siphoned. No gas in the lot of them."

"I guess we attracted a whole slew of Walkers."

"Walkers?" Sadie questioned. "That what you call 'em?"

"More or less. We can talk about that later-"

"Sadie?" Her name cut through the thick air. The man with the crossbow stepped forward.

He lowered his weapon which was trained on her ever since she turned around. Her heart was pounding and her hands shaking. The familiarity of this man plagued her.

"Sadie Wagner?" She pulled one tomahawk from her belt, holding it at the ready.

The realization hit her hard. She knew this face. She knew this man. The questions jumbled together in her mind: all of the hows and whys.

Her first gut reaction was to run away from anything familiar. It's what she should have done before. But she couldn't. She couldn't even move or breathe.

"Daryl?"

He stepped forward, past Gunslinger. "What the hell are you doing here?"

It wasn't the warm welcome she was expecting.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all for your kind words, favorites, followings, and so on.

I didn't realize at the time of writing this that it might confuse some that Olivia is in fact **not** deaf. She can hear perfectly fine, and it will be a subject that is touched on later in the story (why she can't or won't talk).

I hope to be able to write weekly/bi-weekly on this story since we all have to wait til October for our WD fix. I have no idea what I'm going to do until then. Cry, probably. In the fetal position.

* * *

The Governor was still out there. Karen had made that known to everyone at the prison. Whether through tenacity or will, she survived the massacre wrought out by the maniac who murdered his own people. The same people who were, at one time, hellbent on killing Rick's group.

The same people of Woodbury now inhabited the prison.

Daryl could easily roll with the punches. That's what he was made for. But this was different. This was unfamiliar territory. He had his enemies in the past, but Daryl never catered to them or coddled them.

But he wouldn't necessarily call them his enemies-not anymore, at least. These people shuddered under his icy glare. They looked at him with more fear than admiration. It didn't matter, though. Daryl wasn't looking for their approval. He was just surviving, one day at a time. No need to make new friends. He already had friends.

Or did he?

Yes. Carol was his friend. Herschel, too. Rick was finally starting to come around again. Glenn and Maggie were too consumed with each other to pay much attention to anything else, but they were friends nonetheless. Beth spent a lot of time looking after Judith, but there was no ill-will.

The one person Daryl found he could relate to more than anyone else was Michonne. They rarely spoke, if at all, but there was a connection between them...as if they knew each other inside and out. With all of their scars and demons and past lives, they knew. And that's why they could never be friends.

When Daryl looked at Carl, he saw much of himself at that age: distant and angry. It was a sign of weakness to show emotion. Because of that, he felt sorry for the kid.

"Daryl?" A voice snapped him out of his silent reverie. Rick stood in front of him, his hands on his hips. Daryl sat in the vast cafeteria by himself for close to an hour before being discovered.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"I'm fine." Daryl slid off the table and stood across from Rick. "You need somethin?"

"No. I was just cutting through to the kitchen. Saw you in here by yourself."

"I was just thinkin, is all."

Rick was uncertain how to approach his next question, and it showed. "You...you wanna talk?"

Daryl scoffed before shaking his head. "Nothin to talk about."

"Okay." Rick patted a hand on Daryl's shoulder before walking off again.

A thought struck Daryl. "The Governor's gonna come back."

"I know." Rick stopped in his tracks, turning to face him once again.

"We have weapons from Morgan, but it might not be enough. We don't know what he's gonna plan. Could be anything."

"You got something in mind?"

Daryl had been thinking long and hard on how to approach the topic. Rick had mentioned before that he wasn't the commander of the group anymore. Be that as it may, everyone still looked to him for leadership and support. That role isn't something that is easily shrugged off.

"I was thinking maybe I could make a run up north to Barbourville."

"Barbourville, huh? That's a pretty long drive. Anything there in particular?"

My home. My life. "They had a gun store and a shooting range. Couldn't hurt to scavenge the place, right?"

"I don't know, Daryl. Seems like a long shot. You don't think anybody's gone by and raided the place yet?"

"I ain't gonna know if I just sit here."

Rick eyed him skeptically. He was proficient in the art of reading people; it was standard in his line of work. As a cop, he gauged reactions and intentions through subtleties in the face: a glance here, a twitch there. Daryl wouldn't make eye contact. It was a subconscious decision, but one Rick monitored suspiciously.

"You don't need my permission, Daryl."

"No. I suppose not."

"If it's all the same, I'd like to go with ya." Daryl finally made eye contact at that. "Carl, too. He's getting stir crazy."

"Stir crazy?"

"Yeah. Ain't no one here his age. It'd do him some good to get out for a while. Me, too. Glenn, Herschel and Maggie can hold down the fort. That is, if it's okay we go."

Daryl swallowed. "You don't need my permission," he repeated Rick's sentiment.

"Tomorrow? First thing?"

"I was thinkin now. We get there around three or four, sniff around for a bit, head back." Rick studied him, concerned. Daryl was never very vocal about things. He usually fell into line and did as he was asked. For him to be so proactive about something made Rick cautious.

"You sure everything's okay?"

"Just...got a lot on my mind. You know...since Merle. I just-I'd like to go back there. Maybe see if there's anything he left behind."

Daryl most certainly wasn't the sentimental type, but he so desperately wanted to know what became of his home and if there was anything salvageable left pertaining to him and Merle.

Rick nodded, understanding all too well. "Now, then. We'll go now."

* * *

Daryl stood in the street watching her nervously latch on to her tomahawk as if it were a lifeline. She was confused and conflicted, unsure of whether or not to bury the weapon deep into his own skull or flee. This woman poured out so much charm and innocence nearly five years ago. Seeing her as she was this particular day was such a stark contrast from who she was before.

He barely even recognized her-the vertical scar draping over her face destroyed any softness her features once held. She was harsh now-a killer.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The words came out of Daryl's mouth before he could stop them. He was shocked and appalled by the woman she had obviously become. Sadie Wagner was supposed to be safe, out of reach from the Walkers, on a farm somewhere in Oklahoma.

"You know this girl?" Rick seethed, his own anger boiling. His emotions were running high, as well. But Rick never had an appropriate reaction to confusion (if there ever was one). He hated not knowing anything.

"You're supposed to be in Oklahoma. What the hell are you doing here?" Daryl repeated, stepping forward. Sadie dropped the tomahawk back into its holster. She hollered for the girl, Olivia, who ran to Sadie's side.

"I came back," Sadie said, her voice laced with more exhaustion than he previously realized.

"No shit. Why?"

"Would someone explain to me what is going on?" Rick stepped in line with Daryl.

Neither of them said anything in response to Rick, but continued their stand off. Daryl wouldn't budge, but Sadie had a newfound look of determination he'd never seen before.

"Sadie Wagner," Daryl finally mumbled.

It was then that he glanced down, perhaps out of habit, at her left hand. The last time he saw it, it was bare; the only remnants of any jewelry Sadie had worn was the tan line of her wedding ring after she announced her freedom from her psychotic husband.

But that was five years ago. The silver ring with sapphire stones had made it's return. There it sat on her finger, taunting him.

"I'm Rick. This is my son Carl," Rick offered, indicating the boy standing behind him. "We came here for the gun store. Daryl said there was one about a mile up the road, but our vehicle broke down a ways back."

"Ain't nothing there," Sadie said, still watching Daryl. "It was cleaned out a long time ago."

Rick sighed. "Is there anything? Any...any weapons, food, supplies? What about the shooting range? They had to have ammunition."

"Hardly. Everything's gone."

Rick turned his back to Sadie, whispering to Daryl. "The sun's going down. We can't stay here. We have to find shelter."

"Or a vehicle," Daryl murmured back.

"You think she's got one?"

"It don't hurt to ask."

Rick combed his fingers through his hair. "Is there something I should know about? Bad blood between the two of you? I don't want to get mixed up with the wrong people."

"No, it ain't like that. Not with her. She's good."

Rick nodded before turning around again, facing Sadie. "Do you have a vehicle we could use?"

"Not until tomorrow."

"And the abandoned ones around here aren't any count?"

"Not without gas."

"We need shelter," Daryl stated. "For the night. Got any recommendations?"

Sadie didn't say anything for a long time. Instead, she looked down to the little girl standing next to her. The girl made a motion with her hands, signing something Daryl couldn't interpret.

"Follow us," Sadie called to them, walking in the opposite direction with the girl. Daryl, Rick, and Carl had a delayed reaction but eventually snapped to attention. Sadie wasn't going to wait around for them.

"Where are we going?" Daryl asked, slinging the crossbow over his shoulder. He ran to catch up.

"This town comes alive at night. It ain't safe to be out in this part. We got an hour's walk ahead of us."

Sadie marched on with a determination, her brow furrowed as she concentrated hard on thoughts she wouldn't voice. Daryl's steps were synced with hers and he occasionally stole a glance at her, trying to figure out why her demeanor had become so altered. It wasn't a question he could ask-not with the others so close by. If they had a moment alone in the privacy and safety of wherever they were going, then maybe he would say something.

Why did she leave Oklahoma? Why did she come back? Who was this girl that never left her side? Where did the horrific scar come from? Why was she wearing the ring again?

Rick fell behind with Carl, but it was for a purpose. Daryl and Sadie looked like they needed to talk or clear the air. The little girl refused to leave Sadie's side, acting as her bodyguard. Rick smiled at the thought.

The silence grew between Daryl and Sadie who flinched slightly when Daryl's arm accidentally brushed against her own. "Sorry," he mumbled as he made more distance between them.

Say something. That phrase played in his head over and over again. He had to say something, but nothing came.

"Is it just the three of you?" Sadie spoke up first. Thank God she did. Daryl's mental torment could finally end.

"On this trip. We have a place outside of Atlanta. There's 50 of us, give or take."

"Shit."

"Yeah. Just the two of you?"

"On this trip," she repeated his words, but Daryl already knew the truth, evident by her ring finger.

"Is Tommy waiting for you back at...wherever we're going?"

"He'll be back tomorrow. And you'll be gone by then."

Daryl's heart sank. Thinking something and knowing were two different things. Now that he knew the truth...

It didn't matter. She was back with the asshole. If that's what she wanted, then so be it.

"No skin off my back," he said to her. They didn't speak for the rest of their journey.

* * *

There it be! I think next week's chapter is going to be my favorite thus far. Review and let me know your thoughts!


	4. Chapter 4

Has anyone noticed on Walking Dead that if they just talked about their problems, a lot of things would be resolved? But then there'd be no show...thus the Walking Dead paradox.

* * *

The sun had just set behind the woods, the sky changing from blue to orange and pink. It was, by almost all accounts, a beautiful evening.

Sadie could remember days like this. She would sit on her front porch, looking out at the energy her neighborhood exuded. Children would play tag in the street, crossing over yards to chase one another. A man would go for a jog with his dog in tow. Her neighbor adjacent from her had the most beautiful garden that she worked on almost daily. Sadie would bring the woman a glass of sweet tea and talk about the finer things in life...like chrysanthemums or petunias.

But that was almost a lifetime ago. The group stopped their trek in front of Sadie's house.

"What in the hell..." Rick muttered as he got the full grasp of what they had done to the place. A barrier existed around the home, but unlike a normal fence, the perimeter consisted of scrap metal piled taller than any person. It wrapped around in a complete circle with no visible entrance.

"How do you get in?" Carl questioned. As they continued to gawk, Olivia and Sadie moved to a particularly large group of tires sticking out from the rest of the metal wall.

"There's two sides to the entrance. If no one's home, you block the outside with tires. Once we're inside, we'll block the entryway again with a different set of tires. The Creeps can't get in unless the entrance is compromised."

Sadie and Olivia began moving the tires out of the way. The men eventually joined them and the entrance, a small crawl space at the bottom of the metal was soon revealed. Olivia crawled through first, followed by Sadie, Carl, Daryl and Rick. Once on the other side, they begin moving another set of tires in front of the hole.

The gargles and moans of a nearby Walkers had the men uneasy, dealing with more than their fair share for the day. "They ain't gettin through," Sadie said, walking up to the house. "The metal is too heavy for them to push past."

"Where did you get all of it? How the hell did you get it here?" Daryl questioned as they followed her into the house.

"Long story." It was dark with the windows boarded up. "The second floor is a bit brighter. We stay up their the majority of the time The wood from the staircase blocks out any light. We didn't worry too much about the upstairs windows, though."

"How do you get upstairs if there's no staircase?" Carl questioned.

"A ladder," she said, pointing through the living room. Indeed, there was a ladder laying next to a wall. The second floor could be seen but there was no staircase-just evidence of it's demise.

"Why knock out the stairs?"

"Creeps can climb them, but not a ladder."

Everyone dropped their belongings on the hardwood floor. Olivia grabbed the ladder and set it in it's nook, climbing them and disappearing down what was visible of a hallway. Sadie entered the kitchen and returned with three bottles of water, handing them out to the guys.

"There's no running water, so the backyard is your bathroom. There's a can of beans that you can split between the three of you, but that's literally all I can spare. There's two bedrooms upstairs. Olivia and I can share one of them and the boy can have the other. You guys are downstairs. I'll drive you to wherever you need to go at first light."

"Thank you," Rick broke the silence after her speech. "We appreciate your help."

She gave him a nod before heading up the ladder, Carl in tow. She pointed down the hallway. "Bedroom is the last door on the left."

"I could sleep downstairs with my dad and Daryl if you want me to."

"Hardwood floor or a bed. Your choice."

She left him in the hallway to decide, closing her own bedroom door behind her. Olivia was sitting on the bed, questioning her with a single look.

"Don't start."

Olivia began signing to her. _Who's Daryl?_

"I was a bartender. He was a patron. End of story."

_Is it? He couldn't stop staring._

"I look a little different than the last time we saw each other."

_You should talk to him._

"About what?"

_I don't know. Think of something._

The truth was, Sadie couldn't stop thinking of all the things she wanted to tell him. He had so many questions, too. Questions he wouldn't voice. Their last encounter five years ago made her heart drop to her stomach as she replayed the scene over and over in her head. Daryl was just a person she knew. They were never friends. They were barely acquaintances. But when they parted, she'd never forget that final glance he gave her. She'd never forget when he said he wished he had courage to talk to her before then...because then was too late.

What had stopped him?

She knew the answer immediately when she looked down at her left hand and the ring that weighed her down. Ahh. Tommy. Of course. She hadn't realized she was even wearing it.

Olivia stomped her foot on the ground, getting Sadie's attention. _You should talk to him._

"Yeah, yeah..." Sadie said as she left the room, closing the door behind her. She headed down the ladder again, entering the dark living room. Beams of moonlight streaked across the room, breaking through the cracks in the boarded windows.

"We have a few candles...if you want some light," Sadie whispered. Rick laid on the couch, sleep the furthest thing from his mind. Daryl sat next to the window, looking through one of the cracks. His head snapped up when Sadie spoke, breaking him from his trance.

Daryl didn't speak but she could see the slight nod of his head. Sadie walked over to a table, lighting some of the unscented candles that occupied it and spread them around the room. She laid one next to Rick on the floor.

"Blow 'em out when you're ready to sleep." She then moved to Daryl, placing one on the windowsill next to him. He looked at her then, the light from the soft embers of the candle danced across her face. The deep, hideous scar he couldn't unsee was cast in shadow.

"Why'd you come back?" he voiced, but barely. Sadie didn't know if it was a question she could answer truthfully.

But she couldn't lie. "There wasn't anythin for me in Oklahoma." Vagueness always worked.

He turned to face her. "Sit down." It wasn't a command or a request. It just was there, lingering in the air until she had some form of response.

Sadie's response was to sit on the floor across from him. Not close enough to touch, but close enough to whisper and not be heard by the man on the couch-not that she cared a bit.

"I...I don't even know what to say to you," he worked out.

"I know."

"Are you okay? I mean-is...you're doin okay?"

"I'm alive."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the best one I got."

He leaned against the wall and scratched the back of his neck. The heat from earlier was finally starting to wear off and Sadie breathed a sigh of relief.

"What about Tommy?"

Sadie sat up rigidly. "What about him?"

"He live here?"

"It's his house."

"Where's he at now?"

"I don't know."

"Really," he scoffed, the disfavor oozing from his words.

Sadie leaned forward. "There are rules-rules I gotta follow in order to survive."

"Pretty sure society threw out the rulebook when people started eating each other."

"I have to live by a different set of rules than society...than you or your people. They ain't my rules. I don't like 'em, but I do what I have to."

"These..."rules"...are they Tommy's? He make 'em up?"

"Yes."

"And what happens if you break the rules?"

She hesitated, but stuck true to her vow of not lying to Daryl. "People get hurt."

He stopped, unable to move. Unable to breathe. Sadie saw his pulse at the hollow of his neck quicken. "How'd you get that scar?"

"Which one?" she asked sarcastically. Sadie laughed at her own words but stopped when she realized Daryl's reaction grew even darker. "It was a joke. Trust me, you don't wanna know."

"I think I do."

"No, you don't. I'm tellin you," she searched for the words. "...What do you call the Creeps? Walkers? Well, there are worse things in this world than Walkers. Leave it at that."

"If I ever see Tommy again, I'll kill him."

"That's why you're leaving tomorrow...before he gets the chance to kill you."

"You can come with us, you know? You don't have to stay here. We got plenty of space."

"It ain't that simple."

"Just because you're making it difficult."

Sadie shook her head in defiance. "Why'd _you_ come back, Daryl?"

"Lookin for weapons, ammunition."

"Is that all?"

"'Course not. But that's most important. Don't matter, though. Everything's been cleared out."

Sadie was filled with an idea that nearly choked her. She had no idea where it came from, but now that it was present, it was stifling all other thoughts. "Rick," she said louder. "You still awake?"

"Yup."

Of course Rick had heard their entire conversation, but Sadie appreciated that he didn't interfere. She stood up, never breaking eye contact with Daryl until she reached the ladder, climbing upstairs and entering Olivia's room.

The girl was already in bed but still awake. She looked up at Sadie through the darkness.

_What is it?_

Sadie crouched by the bed, her face close to Olivia's. "What if I told them?"

_Told them what?_

"Everything."

Olivia shook her head in confusion.

"If there was a chance...a chance at freedom, would you want to take it? If we could get away from Tommy? If it was just you and me?"

_How?_

"We give them what they originally came to Barbourville for."

_Tommy has the key._

"I know."

_How would they get it?_

Sadie didn't need to respond. Olivia already knew the answer.

* * *

Sadie had come back down the ladder. Daryl and Rick hadn't moved from their spots. "Still awake?"

"Yup," Rick repeated.

"I need you to follow me. Both of you. Grab a candle." She didn't wait for them as she exited the living room and moved toward a door. Daryl stood up the same time Rick hopped off the couch and they gave each other a look. Daryl shrugged as they both followed her to the door.

She opened it. A staircase led down to the basement. One step at a time she made her way through the darkness, feeling for the next stair with her foot, unable to see it. Sadie finally landed on the concrete floor with Daryl and Rick in tow.

She flipped a switch on a wall, and the dark room was at once illuminated.

"You have electricity?" Rick asked.

"Generators. Tommy was always obsessed with preparations before things went bad. Turns out he was one of the smarter ones. We can't stay down here too long. It'll take up too much power and he'll know about it."

"That one of his rules?" Daryl asked spitefully.

"Technically we ain't supposed to be down here at all."

They walked into a room that wasn't lit until she hit another switch. It was illuminated immediately, and what they saw made Rick utter expletives.

It was a room entirely devoted to weapons. Semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, pistols, knives, swords, magazines, scopes, crossbows, and ammunition stood in cases against all four walls. The only thing separating Rick and Daryl from everything they have been looking for was the thick glass coverings.

"Holy shit," the men would occasionally mutter as they walked about the room, taking it all in.

"There's a reason the gun shop and shootin range was cleaned out. As soon as everything started happenin, Tommy took it all. These cases are bullet resistant. The generators are used specifically to power the security. In order to gain access, you have to have the passcode and the key. I know what the passcode is, but I don't have the key. Without it, the alarms will trigger and every Creep-Walker-in a 10 mile radius will be knockin on our door."

"Who the hell is the Tommy guy?" Rick questioned.

"He's the one in charge."

Daryl stopped his perusing. "How'd he get all of this?"

Saide shook her head. "You know what kind of a guy he is, Daryl. Do you even have to ask?"

Rick intervened. "Where's the key?"

"Tommy has it...it's on a chain he wears around his neck. I'm not allowed access. Part of the rules." Sadie swallowed, choosing her words carefully. "If I were to get the key...I'd give you all of it. Every gun, every bullet, every weapon you could possibly want. It's yours."

"Why?" Daryl watched her as she struggled to find the right thing to say.

"I don't need 'em. I don't want 'em. You can have it all."

"But there's a catch."

She stared at the glass and weapons behind it, as if they held the answer to everything.

"You have to kill Tommy."


	5. Chapter 5

Hey all! Sorry for the delay. Sometimes life gets crazy and annoying and simple things like writing go on the back burner temporarily, but I'm back! Not my favorite chapter, but a necessary filler with lots of talking. :)

* * *

Sadie sat on the couch in the living room, the flicker of the candles revealing just enough of the people she needed to see. Daryl sat on a broken-in recliner. The stuffing of the cushioned seats had finally broken through the leathery material holding it in. Rick was behind him by the mantle, looking at pictures from days long gone.

One picture in particular stood out to him. It was Sadie and a man whom Rick presumed was Tommy. Sadie looked much younger in the picture. Her dark brunette hair was streaked with soft and delicate blond highlights. She had a natural pink glow to her cheeks and the long scar was missing. They were both smiling-something that was rare to come by now that...well, the world was different. Luckily for Rick, this picture existed. He could finally but a name to the face. This Tommy Wagner was a large, intimidating man.

"What is it that you want to know?" Sadie asked.

No one spoke up. The men were both contemplating everything that they had been discussed in the basement: the basement that was full of everything they could possibly need for the long and trying months and years to come.

"Start from the beginnin'," Daryl's voice was strained. There had been bad blood between Daryl and Tommy years ago after one chance encounter, but it wasn't nearly enough reason to kill the man. "Start with why you came back."

"Why I came back after the world went to hell, you mean?" Sadie was in no position to dance around the subject. If they wanted reasons to kill that bastard husband of hers, she could write a book.

"Yeah," Rick's gravelly voice broke through. "Start there."

"My mother and stepfather had already been...changed, you know? They were all I had up in Oklahoma. Rumors spread for months that we needed to go South-that there was safety near the waters. We had the plan that if we made it to Ft. Lauderdale, we'd be good."

"Who's we?" Daryl asked.

"There was a group of us: two resident surgeons at the hospital I interned at, a soldier, and a hairdresser. You can imagine who we lost first, I'm sure. But there was a dispute. I wanted to go through Georgia and stop in Barbourville. The guys said that was foolish and a waste of time. They wanted to go straight through Alabama. We hit Birmingham and I separated from them."

"Why'd you want to come here?"

"Why'd you, Daryl? It's home. I needed to know what happened."

"So you get here," Rick interrupted. "What then?"

"I had my fair share of troubles. But I made it nonetheless. Went straight to the pub first thing. I had to see if Sam made it. Saw no sign of him so I went on to other places and seen that most of them had been cleared out and looted. So I started going door to door in my old neighborhood-this neighborhood. Not a soul."

"They probably all headed to Atlanta. The government sent out alerts saying they could protect us better in larger cities," Rick said.

"They said the same about Oklahoma City. The way I see it, you're safer out on the farms and small town places. Not as many Creeps walkin' around." Sadie stood up and walked over to a window, glancing through a crack in the two-by-fours. "Then I came here and saw all of this. Tommy and I lived in this house when we got married. I was 18, right out of high school. We were here for 3 months before he got in trouble with the law. When I left, he kept the place and turned into a time capsule. Kept everything just the way it was. Hung pictures of us together-hell, he even kept some of my clothes...hoping I'd come back. Then the world went to hell and the time capsule turned into a fortress."

"And you took refuge here," Rick suggested.

"Not without a price." Sadie turned and looked at them. "People's true colors emerge when they're in dire circumstances. That's why Tommy went to jail for manslaughter. That's why I've been stuck here for over a year, no way to get out."

"But you have gotten out. You were out today."

"He knows when I come and go. He's got an innate sense of tracking. I'm allowed to go when he clears it and only then."

"Did he clear it?"

"No."

"So what'll happen to you?"

"I don't know. It's different every time."

Daryl stood up from the recliner and began to pace, albeit slowly. "Just leave. Just leave and don't come back-have you ever thought of that?"

"Thought of it. Done it. Got dragged back." She could see his back go rigid. He wanted to punch something-anything.

"We're no killers," Rick responded.

"'Course you are. You've killed dozens, maybe hundreds of the Creeps."

"This is murder."

"Murder entails the shedding of innocent blood. Killing's justified."

"Then you can kill him yourself."

Sadie laughed. "Why? When you're here willing to do it?"

"Never said we were."

"Then what the hell are we talkin' for?" Sadie walked toward the ladder to head upstairs. "Night, ya'll."

"Wait," Daryl demanded. "Just wait. You haven't given us a valid reason for a killing. Sit your ass down on the couch. We ain't done talking."

He was angry. His voice held a slight quiver suggesting that he was beginning to lose control. All the unspoken things Sadie wouldn't say painted a vivid picture in Daryl's mind of how horrific Tommy really was. He absolutely wanted to kill him.

Sadie moved back to the couch, plopping down with a sigh. "Enough with this 'I don't care' bullshit, Sadie. You do care."

"Care about what, exactly? She ran a hand through her tangled hair.

"If we help you."

"See, that's where you're wrong, Daryl. I don't care if you help me out or not. I've been through my fair share of hell-hell that I'm not too keen to tell you about. Dead or alive, it's all the same to me. But...the only thing I care about right now is that little girl upstairs. She's the purest thing this world's got anymore. Untainted...well, as much as can be nowadays, I suppose."

"And how'd you meet her?"

"I saved her life. Brought her back here and gave her food and water. When Tommy found out, he beat me to nearly an inch of my life. Tommy had rationed food for two people: him and me. He didn't factor a third person into his plans and still won't. His rations stayed the same, and I had to split mine with Olivia. She gets most of it, though."

Sadie sat tall, not allowing the lack of food for the past few months hinder her. She was proud. She was proud to have survived a crueller existence than most others alive that day. It wasn't something she bore with resentment or sadness. It was a badge of honor. She was a survivor. No one would ever take that away from her.

Daryl struggled to ask the question that plagued him since he found out Tommy was alive. Hell, the question invaded his thoughts five years ago sitting in the pub as he watched Sadie from the corner of his eye.

"What all has he done?"

Sadie scoffed. She stretched her feet out in front of her and laughed. Rick and Daryl didn't join in her chorus but watched her. "You think that by knowing it's gonna change anything?"

"It could."

"How? How will that change anything at all? You'll see me differently, sure. You'll look at me with either pity or disgust. But it won't change the fact that Tommy is, and will always be, an asshole. A coward. A sadist. An abuser. A murderer. I don't know Rick from Adam, but you, Daryl...you know I'm telling the truth."

"Don't matter," Rick muttered. "We can't kill him."

"We can't," Daryl repeated almost robotically.

Sadie stared at the latter of the two, attempting in vain to persuade him with a look. He wasn't having it.

"I didn't know that people still abided by a moral compass anymore. Congrats, you two." Sadie stood up and stretched a bit before moving back to the ladder. She stopped. "Let the record show, I didn't think you'd actually do it. Not for all the guns and all the ammo this side of Georgia."

"Then why'd you ask?" Rick stepped toward her.

"Because the worst you could say was no. But I will ask you this, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead."

"When I take you tomorrow...to wherever it is that you need to go-I'm gonna drop you off with your people, right? Would you do me a favor?"

"What are you asking, Sadie?" Daryl turned to face her.

"Would you take Olivia in with ya? Would you take care of her for me?"

Rick shook his head. "She ain't one of us."

"That's why I'm askin. He's gonna kill me. And if he doesn't kill Olivia, then...then she's just gonna be his-look, I'm just askin, okay?"

Sadie didn't wait for a response. She climbed up the ladder and headed down the hallway until Daryl and Rick could no longer see her. Her door shut quietly.

"What in the hell is going on around here?" Rick muttered, turning to Daryl.

"I don't know."

Rick sat down on the couch previously vacated by Sadie. "What do you want to do?"

Daryl's head snapped up. Rick was giving Daryl charge over this situation. "Option A? I wanna kill Tommy."

"Not an option, Daryl. B?"

"I want Olivia and Sadie at the prison."

"You think she'd stay if you asked her?"

"No. Shit...she's a therapist. Don't she know Stockholm Syndrome when she sees it?"

"That ain't Stockholm. That's something else. She doesn't sympathize with her husband-ex-husband-captor-whatever the hell he is. She wants him dead. But she won't say why. I don't know her, let alone well enough to figure her out."

Daryl sighed. "Apparently I don't either."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Drop me a review if you'd like!


	6. Chapter 6

I know I suck for not updating as frequently as I should. But hey-I'm a busy gal. At least this chapter got done, right? And I'm THIS close to being finished with the next.

So everyone...if you would be so kind-drop a review and let me know what you think of the story thus far and where you think it should head. Thank you!

* * *

Sadie sat in the driver's seat of the beat up '97 Nissan. The car barely got around, but it had two things working in it's favor: the gas mileage was better than most cars in Barbourville, and it had air conditioning. Actual working air conditioning. With Daryl in the front seat, Olivia, Carl, and Rick in the back, the windows tightly sealed and the A/C on full blast, the group sat in physical comfort for the first time in what felt like ages. The silence, however, was becoming almost too much to bear.

"You'll wanna go East on 280," Rick broke through, his voice rattling everyone. "You got about 5 more miles before you hit it."

"Got it," Sadie responded. She took her time, occasionally seeing a Walker here and there and having to weave in and out of abandoned vehicles along the road. In her rearview mirror, she could see Rick looking out the window deep in thought. Carl had found some crinkled paper and a pen and was passing notes back and forth to Olivia. _Good_, she thought to herself. _At least she'll have a friend._

Daryl, however, looked straight ahead, unflinching. He almost seemed annoyed by the fact that he was cooped inside such a small vehicle. Either that or his discontent stemmed from being in such close proximity to everyone, especially Sadie.

"So," Sadie began quietly. Anything at this point would be better than silence. "How's the other half of the Dixon brothers?"

She stole a quick glance at Daryl and saw the physical discomfort from the question.

"Shit, Daryl. I'm sorry."

"Ain't nothin' to be sorry for. You didn't do it." The lull in conversation grew once again, a nagging pain to all subjected to it.

Sadie made the turn onto 280. "Where exactly is your camp?"

"In a prison," Rick responded.

"Wait-the men's prison outside of Atlanta?"

"That's the one."

"Gotcha. I know where I'm headin' now." Daryl scoffed and it didn't go unnoticed. Sadie shot him a knowing look. "Problem?"

"Nah," he replied.

"Sounds like it."

He stretched his feet out on the dashboard. "Just glad you know where you're goin."

Sadie shook her head, knowing that he was attempting to get under her skin. It wouldn't work, however. Sadie had skin thicker than most. "I didn't visit Tommy once when he was in prison if that's what you're implyin'."

"Why'd you stick around with that asshole, anyway?"

Sadie smirked. She knew that his intentions were to push her buttons. Luckily for her, she also excelled at doing just that. "You seem to think an awful lot of Tommy."

"Not of him."

Her smirk faded. Sadie glanced in her mirror and saw Rick staring right back at her. She broke eye contact with him, feeling uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny.

"What's keepin' you there?" Rick questioned. "In all seriousness-vagueness aside."

Sadie shook her head. "You don't wanna know."

"I think I do."

Rick was still watching her through the mirror, but now his demeanor had changed. It was softer, more approachable. Perhaps he genuinely wanted to know. Olivia was also watching Sadie, her concern masked with a hardened edge. The two never spoke of the subject.

"Tommy's made friends with some pretty powerful people. He goes off and meets up with them every now and again for days at a time. They do a lot of trading together. I left twice before. They found me and brought me back. The first time I couldn't walk for nearly a week. The second time..." She left the sentence unfinished. No use in scarring Olivia anymore than she already was.

No one spoke for a while. Sadie made a right turn off of 280 onto another backwoods road, not daring to look at Daryl.

"Who are these friends?" Rick asked.

"I don't know any names. It was a small number at first. In the past few months, though, it's grown-like a small army or militia formed some ways away."

"What do they trade?"

Sadie swallowed the hard lump that had gradually formed in her throat. "Goods...and services."

Another silence followed. "The world we grew up in isn't the same as the one we live in now," Sadie muttered the words that were obvious to everyone in the vehicle.

Daryl's hands visibly clenched as he scooted closer to the window and further away from Sadie. He was forcing himself to show restraint, holding back the words that he's wanted to spill out ever since he saw her again. But the conversation he intended to have with Sadie wasn't for the prying eyes and ears of Rick, let alone the two kids in the back seat. More than anything, he wanted to shake some sense into her.

Rick felt the air grow heavy with tension. "You'd be safe at the prison."

"You don't know these guys."

"No, but I know my people. We look out for everyone-protect one another."

"How?" Sadie bit out. "How when you and Daryl and your son have been out lookin' for weapons and ammunition hours away from your camp? You don't have the equipment to protect each other and you sure as hell can't do it with nothin' but words."

Sadie turned down one final road. The trees began to clear and a dilapidated guard tower was spotted just beyond a final hill. The fences guarding their shelter came into focus, as did the copious amount of Walkers standing outside, desperate to find a way in.

"There are two gates. They'll open them for us," Rick said.

"I'm not goin' past the first one."

"Sadie," Daryl pleaded.

"Stop it. Just stop." Two people stood at the first gate and began rolling it back as Sadie drove through. She slowed down to a stop inside the first perimeter and the gate closed behind her. Sadie put the car in park. Daryl immediately threw the door open and stepped out of it, slamming it shut. The sound ricocheted throughout the prison yard.

The three passengers in the backseat didn't move. "You don't have to do this, Sadie. You don't have to be a martyr for some...pointless cause," Rick suggested.

"Being a martyr is always selfless, Rick. Never pointless."

Rick sighed heavily, hesitating a moment before opening his door. "C'mon, Carl."

Carl. The boy had remained silent for the entire ride. Sadie wondered briefly what kind of impression she had left him. He was a quiet observer, never speaking unless absolutely necessary. Such a thing was a valuable asset. Carl stole a quick glance to Olivia and smiled. She returned his smile as he exited behind his father, the door closing behind him.

"You too, Liv."

Olivia's eyes shot up to the rearview mirror where she connected with Sadie. She shook her head. _No_.

"Not an option."

Olivia began to, rather frustratingly, sign her response. _You and me. We're a team_.

Daryl, Rick and Carl still stood outside of the car, waiting for whatever was to transpire. "We are a team, and this is somethin' you have to do for me."

_I'm not leaving you._

"Get out of the car, Liv."

_No._

The frustration boiled over. Sadie slammed her fists on the steering wheel and let out a guttural yell. "This isn't a request! Listen to me, dammit! Get out of the car and go with them or I'll drag you out myself!"

Olivia sat in shock. Sadie had never erupted like this before.

_No._

Sadie threw open her door and launched out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She realized her mistake, however, in the few short seconds that followed. Olivia reached the driver's door and locked herself inside, the keys still dangling from the ignition.

Sadie knocked on the window, her patience wearing thin. "Unlock the door. Now."

Olivia watched her with pleading eyes, begging her not to leave. It was an ultimatum. Either they leave together, or they stay together.

Sadie's frantic knocks grew into a fierce pounding on the glass, threatening to shatter. "Open the damn door, Olivia! Now!" But the girl didn't budge. She sat defiantly, daring Sadie to break through the window or rip the door off.

Sadie kicked the door and yelled out once again before looking at Daryl. "You put her up to this, didn't you? Didn't you?" She rushed over and grabbed him by the shirt collar, shaking him, pushing him. But he didn't respond. "Get her out of my car right now!"

"He didn't do it," A small voice broke through her anger, one that she rarely heard since the trio invaded her life. Carl stood behind her and she shot him a look of surprise. "I did."

Sadie slowly released Daryl from her grasp, looking between everyone in astonishment. "God-what the hell do you people want from me?" Her feet gave out and her knees slid to the ground in defeat, her hands covering her face. She battled her inner demons while everyone looked on.

The Walkers outside of the fence were growing restless. Others in the camp swarmed them through the barriers, stabbing them though the head one at a time. A distant male voice called out, "Hurry up! We gotta move!"

Rick, feeling sympathy for Sadie knelt down beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch but only slightly. "Stay."

It was the simplest of commands. A plea with no form of begging or groveling. She refused to be a burden to these people. "If they come for me, Rick," she breathed barely above a whisper, fighting back the tears of frustration desperate for escape. "If they come for me...you have to let me go. I can't put anyone through their carnage."

He gave her the smallest of nods and with it, Sadie's resolve crumbled. Rick offered her his hand as he stood up but she did not accept it. She didn't dare sneak a look to Daryl as she walked over to the car and tapped on the window lightly.

Olivia's head shot up. "Okay," Sadie said to the girl. She received a small smile in return.

Shouts came from different directions as numerous people from the prison ran to the gate. Everyone looked in the direction they were heading when they noticed Walkers coming through the first perimeter.

Daryl shot off first, his crossbow dangling over his shoulder. "There's a breach!" He yelled over his shoulder. Rick and Carl took off after him and Olivia exited the car. Gunfire rang throughout the prison.

Olivia handed Sadie her belt which held her tomahawks. _Homecoming present?_

Sadie rolled her eyes and she fastened the belt around her waist, unamused. They took off after the swarm of Walkers.


	7. Chapter 7

**Super tired. Hopefully it won't show in the writing. Review, please! It makes my heart smile.**

* * *

Sadie sat outside, her feet stretched out in front of her. Clouds were rolling in the distance, slowly making their way to the prison. With it was the promise of rain and a bit of relief from the blaring sun. Sadie made an adjustment in her stature, placing her bare hand on the pavement. Her hand lingered a little too long, burning her calloused fingertips.

She could go inside. She probably should as to not suffer from heat exhaustion, but Olivia was off in the field by herself, looking for anything valuable among the fallen walkers from that day's earlier massacre. The girl wanted to be alone. In this instance, she was alone, but Sadie refused to let Olivia out of her sight.

It was obvious she never spoke, but Olivia seemed to be rather distant the last few hours. Sadie wondered if it had anything to do with her blatant refusal in joining this new group of strangers. A part of her had been selfish. Sadie didn't want to go through the adjustment of living with new people, especially since she had just become accustomed to her old way of life (however chaotic it was). But there was so much more hidden under her demeanor-so much more she was unwilling to share.

Like what Tommy was really up to.

There was one time-one single time-Sadie was able to sneak out of her imprisonment without Tommy being aware. It was at least a month before Olivia had joined her in the household. Sadie had followed Tommy in search for her own answers. She was curious as to what he had been doing, where he had been going. Upon her discovery, Sadie knew that her only option was killing him in order to stop his plans from coming to fruition.

The stay at the prison would be temporary. There was much more riding on Sadie's silent commitment to herself than any of the others could possibly understand. Especially Olivia.

Footsteps approached from her left. Sadie looked over and saw Carol marching down the stairs, beads of sweat already forming on her brow.

Carol. They had time for small introductions earlier when Rick showed the newcomers around the cell block. The woman seemed more welcoming than most of the others. There was a softness to her smile-even sincerity.

"We have a storm coming?"

"Think so," Sadie replied.

"That's good. We could use it. Probably should set out some buckets and things to catch water and boil it later."

"You could just leave it out on the pavement...I'm sure it'll boil itself." Carol smiled at Sadie before sitting down next to her, careful not to let her bare skin touch the scorching concrete. She laid her gun on the ground.

"If you're gonna sit out here and cook, the least you could do is find some shade."

With the slightest of movements, Sadie pointed out to Olivia. "I'm just watchin' her. Makin' sure she don't get into trouble."

"You don't let her out of your sight, do you?"

Sadie shifted. "She can't yell for help if she's in trouble."

"Is she deaf?"

"Nah. Just mute. Either by choice or design."

"Can't say I blame her." Carol sifted through the small and tattered tote bag she carried. She produced a half empty water bottle and handed it to Sadie.

"Thanks." Sadie gulped small sips of the hot water which provided little relief. She handed it back to Carol.

"How did the two of you communicate?"

"She used to carry around a notepad and pencil. She knows sign language, so she started to teach me a few months ago. I'd say somethin', she'd show me how to sign it."

"Olivia's a smart girl." Carol took a swig of the water.

"She's a survivor."

"So are you."

Sadie shook her head. "Just doin' my best to give her a life. Maybe here with ya'll is as good as it'll get for her. It's somethin'."

"Are you gonna stay?"

Sadie looked at Carol for the first time since the woman sat down. There was no judgement in her eyes-no hatred, no ill-will, no scorn.

"I ain't got a right to."

"Got a right to what? Stability and safety?"

"Intrudin'."

"You're a friend of Daryl's. That's an invitation."

"Last time I saw him was 5 years ago. Life before...before all of _this_...it ain't the same. You can't go back to those ways."

"So why don't you start fresh?" The sun disappeared behind a large, blackened cloud. The first slow rumble of thunder was heard at the prison but the contrast from the heat was instantaneous. Carol sighed, the slightest smile tugging at her lips. "Finally. Some relief."

Sadie didn't know if she meant from the heat or from the world outside of the prison walls. "I told Olivia I'd stay."

The statement hung in the air and Carol expected a follow-up. "But?"

"But," Sadie stretched out the word, "I'm no good at keepin' my word."

"That's all people have anymore is their word. Tell me: what's keeping you from staying?"

Sadie scoffed. "Not sure you'd understand even if I told ya."

"Try me."

"I have some business that needs taken care of."

Carol nodded, not expecting any more from her. She took another drink from her water bottle. Sadie watched Olivia move from Walker to Walker, picking through pockets, sifting through their clothes. "We'll burn the bodies once the cold front comes through," Carol offered, changing the subject. "Once this rain hits, we may be able to breathe again. It's just too damn hot to do anything."

"Agreed. I'll help out in any way I can. But after that, me stayin' is up in the air. I can't make a decision right now. I'm too tired."

"You should go inside and get some rest. When was the last time you ate?"

"Probably before Olivia and I came here...a couple of days. Olivia's eaten, though. I'm used to it. It's the not sleepin' that's getting to me." Carol stood up from the ground and stretched out her hand to Sadie. Sadie briefly hesitated before accepting it.

"Well, you can't take care of her if you don't take care of yourself. I'll watch her." Sadie stood up, the dizziness from her exhaustion and lack of nutrition hit her hard, but she didn't falter. She willed her body back to normalcy.

"You sure?"

"Go on. Once the rain hits, we'll come inside."

Sadie nodded before heading back up the stairs.

* * *

The prison was quieter than she expected. Many of the cells were already occupied with people in their vain attempt at achieving privacy. A group of elderly women sat in the corner of the cell block, playing card games in low tones. Others were eating small portions of a dinner cooked up by a young girl named Beth.

Sadie made her way through the occupants. Some cast her wary looks while others murmured amongst themselves about the strange newcomer, her grotesque scar marring her face.

There was no familiarity here. No congeniality-not the kind that Carol had expressed mere moments before. This was hostile. Sadie wasn't welcomed here.

The cries of a baby snapped Sadie out of her reverie. She had completely stopped moving in the cell block, watching the group as they watched her in return. "You okay?" she jumped at the sound of Carl's voice.

"Yeah. I'm good."

"It's just Judith."

"Judith?"

"Yeah. My sister."

"Oh," Sadie sighed deeply, as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Thought I was imagining things. Been a while since I heard a baby cry."

"You sure you're okay?" Sadie could only imagine how she looked: fatigued, flushed, sick, and exhausted. She could almost feel the bags under her eyes growing larger from lack of sleep.

"I'm a little tired. Is there an empty cell where I can crash for a while?"

"There's some on the second floor down the hall. That's where Judith's nursery is, though. She can be loud."

"I think I could sleep through just about anythin' right now." Sadie faltered again, the fatigue beginning to hinder her balance. "Is that soup I smell?"

"Vegetable-homemade. It didn't come from a can. We have a garden on the opposite side of the grounds. You hungry?"

_Famished. Starving. Dying for sustenance_, she thought to herself. "I could eat."

"Beth's cooking some more in the kitchen. I'll take you," Carl walked away. It was all Sadie could do to keep up with him and not collapse on the floor.

The walk wasn't long, but Sadie found herself counting her steps and the seconds that drifted by. It kept her distracted from the obvious sickness that was encompassing her. They reached the entrance and Carl held open the door for Sadie who shuffled her way in.

Beth was standing by one of the many stoves, stirring chopped carrots into a large crockpot. Fresh vegetables laid strewed out on a nearby cutting board: celery, cauliflower, potatoes, onions, and more carrots. Sadie breathed in the wonderful aroma and grabbed a rib of celery before noticing Daryl and Glenn standing by a counter skinning a batch of squirrels. Rick stood next to them, opening a can of broth before looking up to notice Sadie and Carl.

"You all right, Sadie?" Rick watched her casually as her eyes danced from his to Daryl's.

"Carol...Carol told me to come get something to eat."

"We already went through the first batch of soup. We got about half an hour til this is done." Sadie's heart dropped but she made no show of it.

"That's all right. Can I have a bit of celery?"

"Help yourself." And she did, one giant bite after another. Daryl continued skinning the squirrels but glanced up at Sadie on occasion.

Sadie swallowed the last bite of her stalk, disappointed that it was gone so quickly. "Thanks."

"No. Thank you," Beth said, her soft and delicate voice broke through. "For bringing the guys back in one piece. We were worried sick about them."

"We should talk about your living arrangements," Rick suggested, leaning against an empty counter. He was still cautious with her.

"Carl said I could sleep on the second floor tonight."

Rick raised his eyebrows. "He did?"

"Yeah," Carl replied shortly. An unrepressed tension filled the room as father and son silently squared off. They locked gazes for a mere moment, battling through whatever was bothering them. Sadie took note of this, wondering what exactly was going on under the surface between the two.

"I suppose that'll be fine...for tonight. But I was thinking more long term. Everyone here contributes in some way. We have routines and schedules built up-"

"I told Carol that once the storm passes, I'll help with disposin' the bodies."

This caused Rick to falter. "Oh. Uh...well, yeah, that'd be great But besides that, we have different tasks that everyone-"

"You're assuming that I'm gonna be here beyond tomorrow."

Another uneasy silence filled the room. Daryl's knife clattered on the counter as he dropped it. He wiped his hands off with a towel and walked over to Sadie. "Can we talk?"

"Go ahead." He gently took her by the arm and led her into the hallway outside of the kitchen, giving them distance from the others.

"You can't leave."

"I can."

"You're just gonna up and go? What about Olivia?"

"She's not my kid. If she wants to stay, she can. It was pretty shitty of her to con me into this, anyway."

"You'd leave her?"

"We had a deal, _Dixon_," she bit out through gritted teeth. "This isn't my place. This isn't my home."

"No. Home's with the psychopath, isn't it?" He took a step back, shaking his head. "All your vague answers and shit is just you being ornery. I sure as hell ain't got the time for it. I'm not gonna beg you to stay. If you wanna go pay penance by torturin' yourself with that asshole, then by all means, go."

"That's what I'm doing? Paying penance?" Sadie scoffed. "Regardless of what you think, I don't owe you any explanation as to what I was doin' there. But it sure as hell has nothin' to do with penance. I'm not makin' up for lost time, I'm not delusional. I know what I'm doin'."

"You're an idiot."

It was all Sadie could do to restrain herself. Her hand twitched and Daryl took notice of it. She desperately wanted to hit him with all the force she could muster, but that would involve exertion. Sadie didn't have it in her to continue the argument, let alone start a brawl with a man twice her size.

Sweat was beading on her brow as Sadie and Daryl continued squaring off with nothing more than threatening glares. Her hand flexed into a fist and immediately went slack as she willed it to relax. Instead of landing his head a blow, Sadie took a step back and leaned against the wall, sliding down it until she reached the floor with her bottom.

"I don't know, Daryl. Maybe I am an idiot. I've been a pawn in Tommy's game ever since I came back. Then I found Olivia and she became a pawn in mine."

Daryl stepped forward, hovering over her. "You're talkin' in riddles again, woman."

"Like I said: you don't have to know everything. You want me to tell you everything? All the details of my pathetic existence? What Tommy is really up to? I will. But not now. I can't think right now."

Daryl studied her, taking notice of her unease. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothin'. I'm fine."

"Don't look like nothin'. Ya sick?"

"Are you deaf? I said I'm fine."

"You haven't slept or eaten since we ran into each other in Barbourville."

Sadie swallowed and lifted a hand to her head, "I just...I need to lie down or somethin'."

Daryl leaned in close but hesitated at contact. He looked her over and noticed her skin had turned pale. "I'll get Rick."

"The hell you will!" she hissed. "I don't need you causin' a ruckus. Just point me to a bed."

"Rick!" he called out, ignoring her. Daryl pushed back the loose strands of hair from Sadie's face, studying her. The touch made both Sadie and Daryl wince. Her breathing was shallow as she forced back the bile. "What the hell..."

Rick entered the hallway. "What's wrong?"

"Get Herschel."

"I'm...I'm fine," Sadie insisted. "Don't need anyone's help. I'm just tired. Need sleep."

Rick squatted down next to Daryl, inspecting her as well. "When's the last time you slept?"

"Couple days ago. I don't know."

"Can ya walk?"

"I'm _fine_," she gritted through her teeth. Determined to prove it to them, she stood up, albeit slowly. Daryl offered his hand in assistance, but she swatted it away.

"Let's get you to a bed. Daryl will bring you some food when it's ready."

Rick grabbed her arm and she stiffened at first before relaxing into his hold. "Didn't know you were feeling this way," he mumbled as he led her away from the kitchen. Daryl stood alone in the hallway, watching the two walk away.

They came to a set of stairs which Sadie took one at a time. "I haven't felt this bad in a while."

"You're wearin' your body out. No good to anybody if you're half dead."

"Never really had the luxury of eatin' or sleepin' right, Rick."

"How about this? You help us, we help you. We're a community here. We got each other's backs. You're allowed to take care of yourself now, Sadie."

"Don't tempt me," she replied quietly as they reached the top of the stairs. They rounded a corner and entered an unoccupied cell. Sadie laughed to herself, picturing an ethereal glow emanating from the room as if God himself had bestowed her this magnificent gift.

Rick heard her snicker but attributed it to her current exhausted state. He helped place her on the bed and before her head hit the mattress, Sadie's eyes slipped closed and she encountered her first restful slumber in what felt like months.


End file.
